Magnetic sunshade attachment

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides for a frame on the vehicle, the frame operable to accept the window. The frame having a first edge and an opposed spaced apart second edge. A shade having a fixed end and a free end. The fixed end mounted to the first edge of the frame. The assembly further including at least one magnet wherein the at least one magnet is connected to the free end of the shade. The shade is operable to extend away from the first edge of the frame and connect to the second edge of the frame. The magnet attached to the free end of the shade connects to a ferrous material provided on the second edge of the frame. The magnet attachment allows for a user to blindly extend the shade assembly to an extended position.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to vehicle sunshades. Moreparticularly, this invention relates to attachment structures forvehicle sunshades covering windows.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Sunshades provided within a vehicle to cover windows to block sunentering the vehicle interior are well known. Commonly known sunshadesutilize a flexible shade operable to cover a window. The sunshadeincludes a fixed end and a free end. The fixed end is traditionallymounted to a rollable cylinder. The rollable cylinder is mounted withinthe vehicle interior, and particularly within the paneling of thevehicle. The sunshade roll assembly may be spring actuated to allow forretraction and rerolling of the sunshade about the rollable cylinder.

To use the sunshade assembly, the user must pull on the free end of thesunshade and attach the free end to an opposing edge of the vehiclewindow. It is commonly known to use a hook structure to attach thesunshade in the open position to an opposing edge of the window frame tosecure the sunshade in an open position. The hook is either provided onthe free end of the sunshade assembly wherein the window frame includescorresponding loop structure to accept the hooks. Alternatively, thewindow frame includes hook structure operable to accept loop-likestructure provided on the free end of the shade to secure the shade inthe open position.

Connecting the loop structure to the hook structure to secure the shadein the open position proves to be a difficult task. Very frequentlyusers have difficulty connecting the loop structure to the hookstructure. The difficulty frequently arises when the user must reachinto the rear of the vehicle, or must reach to extend the shade on aslidable door of a minivan when the door is in the open position and oneis attempting to extend the shade. Users have little to no guidance whenattempting to mate the hook structure with the loop structure to extendthe shade.

Other sunshade assemblies are power operated and do not require the useof hooks. These sunshade assemblies frequently include two actuatingarms operable to automatically extend the sunshade and do not requirethe use of attachment structure at the free end of the sunshade.

Accordingly, there exists a need in the field of manual sunshadeassemblies to improve attachment structure to allow for easy attachmentof the free end of a shade to the frame of a window.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A sunshade assembly overcoming the disadvantages as described in thebackground is provided for use over a vehicle window. The sunshadeassembly includes a frame on the vehicle, the frame operable to acceptthe window. The frame having a first edge and an opposed spaced apartsecond edge. A shade having a fixed end and a free end. The fixed endmounted to the first edge of the frame. The assembly further includingat least one magnet wherein the at least one magnet is connected to thefree end of the shade. The shade is operable to extend away from thefirst edge of the frame and connect to the second edge of the frame. Themagnet attached to the free end of the shade connects to a ferrousmaterial provided on the second edge of the frame. The magnet attachmentallows for a user to blindly extend the shade assembly to an extendedposition since little manipulation is required by the user to attach themagnets of the free end to the second edge of the frame therebyovercoming the disadvantages of the prior art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an environmental view of the sunshade assembly in anextended position;

FIG. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the prior art;

FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view and motion view of the presentinvention;

FIG. 4 illustrates a cross-sectional view and motion view of the shadein the extended position;

FIG. 5 illustrates a sectional view of the free end of the shade; and

FIG. 6 illustrates a perspective view of the indentations on the panelstructure of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an improved assembly for attaching afree end of a sunshade assembly to the vehicle when the shade is in theextended position. The free end of the shade includes at least onemagnet operable to connect to an edge of a window frame thereby reducingrequired manipulation of the hook and loop assemblies of the prior art.In a secondary embodiment, magnets may be provided on the second edge ofthe window frame and the free end of the shade may include a ferrousmaterial allowing for a secure attachment of the free end to the windowframe edge.

FIG. 1 illustrates an environmental view of the vehicle 2 having awindshield 4 and a plurality of windows 6. The vehicle 2 furtherincludes a front end 8 and a rear end 10. The sunshade assembly 12 isprovided on the vehicle 2. The sunshade assembly 12, in the presentembodiment, is shown on the vehicle door disposed over a window. Thesunshade assembly 12 further includes the shade material 14 having afree end 24 and a fixed end 18. The sunshade assembly 12 is providedwith a corresponding window frame having a first edge 15 and a secondedge 16. The shade 14 of the sunshade assembly 12 includes a free end 24and a fixed end 18. The fixed end 18 is mounted to a roller 22. Theshade 14 is operable to wrap around the roller 22 when the shade 14 isin an open and stored position. The roller 22 may include springmechanisms to assist in retraction of the shade 14. The shade 14 or theroller 22 is attached to the first edge 15 of the frame 13.

Shade 14 further includes a free end 24. A plurality of magnets 20, or astrip of magnets, is provided connected to the free end 24 of the shade14. In the secondary embodiment, a plurality of magnets 20, or a stripof magnets, is provided attached to the second edge 16 of the frame. Themagnets 20 are operable to attach to the second edge 16 of the frame 13.The second edge 16 includes or is made of a ferrous material allowingthe magnets 20 to attach to the second edge. In the secondaryembodiment, a ferrous material is provided on the free end of the shade14 operable to connect to a plurality of magnets, or a strip of magnets,mounted to the second edge 16 of the frame 13.

FIG. 2 illustrates the prior art. A sunshade assembly having a hook andloop assembly 50 is provided. A shade 52 is provided having a free end51. A loop assembly is provided on the free end 51. The loop 54 providedon the free end 51 attaches to a hook structure 56 connected to thevehicle and vehicle structure 62, 64. A roll assembly 58 is providedwithin the vehicle paneling 60 of the vehicle. The user of the sunshadeassembly is required to pull the free end 51 of the shade 52 out of thevehicle paneling 60 to an extended position. The user manipulates theshade 52 to an extended position. The user must then manipulate, asshown by directional arrow 55, the extended shade 52 a and loopstructure 54 a over the hook 56. If the user is reaching to the rear ofthe vehicle, or if the user is reaching to open and extend the sunshadeof a slidable door when the door is in an open position, the attachmentof the shade 52 to the hook 56 proves to be extremely difficult.

FIGS. 3-5 illustrate the magnet attachment structure of the presentinvention. The sunshade assembly 12 includes the shade 14 having a freeend 24 and a fixed end 18. The free end 24 includes a magnet 20, orplurality of magnets, or a strip of magnets, including magnet material21. The frame 13 is provided having a first edge 15 and a second edge16. In the present embodiment, the second edge 16 includes a ferrousmaterial 26 operable to magnetically connect to the magnet 20 attachedto the free end 24 of the shade 14. In a secondary embodiment, thesecond edge 16 may include magnetic material and the free end 24 of theshade 14 may include ferrous material allowing the second edge havingthe magnetic material to connect to the free end 24 having the ferrousmaterial. The user extends 40 the shade 14 a having the magnet 20 auntil the free end 24 of the shade 14 a makes contact with the secondedge 16 of the frame 13. Magnetic forces draw the magnet 20 to thesecond edge 16 of the frame thereby providing some guidance to the userwhen extending 40 the shade 14 of the sunshade assembly 12.

A roller 22 is provided within the paneling 23 of the vehicle 2. Theroller 22 is operable to have the shade 14 wrap around the roller 22.

FIG. 6 illustrates the magnets 20 of the sunshade 14 in a resting androlled position. This is a secondary embodiment allowing the magnets 20and the handle 25 to rest flush within the panel 23. A plurality ofindentations 44 are operable to accept the structure of the magnets 22.The indentations 44 allow the magnets to rest flush with the paneling23. Furthermore, FIG. 6 illustrates a grip or handle 25 provided toallow the user to extend the shade 14 to an open position.

I claim:
 1. A sunshade assembly for use in a vehicle over a window, thesunshade assembly comprising: a frame on the vehicle, the frame operableto accept the window, the frame having a first edge and an opposedspaced apart second edge; a shade having a fixed end and a free end, thefixed end mounted to a first edge of the frame; and at least one magnet,the at least one magnet connected to the free end of the shade, theshade operable to extend away from the first edge of the frame, the freeend of the shade operable to connect to the second edge of the frame,the at least one magnet of the free end of the shade operable to connectto the second edge of the frame.
 2. The sunshade assembly of claim 1wherein the second edge of the frame includes a ferrous material.
 3. Thesunshade assembly of claim 1 wherein the shade is a flexible material.4. The sunshade assembly of claim 1 wherein the shade is at leasttranslucent to block sun.
 5. The sunshade assembly of claim 1 whereinthe fixed end of the shade is attached to a roller allowing the shade towrap around the roller.
 6. The sunshade assembly of claim 5 wherein theroller is disposed within the vehicle body.
 7. The sunshade assembly ofclaim 1 wherein the second edge includes indentations configured toaccept the magnets of the free end of the shade.
 8. A sunshade assemblyfor use in a vehicle over a window, the sunshade assembly comprising: aframe on the vehicle, the frame operable to accept the window, the framehaving a first edge and an opposed spaced apart second edge; a shadehaving a fixed end and a free end, the fixed end mounted to a first edgeof the frame, the shade including a handle on the free end; and at leastone magnet, the at least one magnet connected to the second edge of theframe, the shade operable to extend away from the first edge of theframe to the second edge, the free end of the shade operable to connectto the second edge of the frame, the at least one magnet of the secondedge operable to connect to the free end of the shade.
 9. The sunshadeassembly of claim 8 wherein the free end of the shade includes a ferrousmaterial.
 10. The sunshade assembly of claim 8 wherein the shade is aflexible material.
 11. The sunshade assembly of claim 8 wherein theshade is at least translucent to block sun.
 12. The sunshade assembly ofclaim 8 wherein the fixed end of the shade is attached to a rollerallowing the shade to wrap around the roller.
 13. The sunshade assemblyof claim 12 wherein the roller is disposed within the vehicle body. 14.A sunshade assembly for use in a vehicle over a window, the sunshadeassembly comprising: a frame on the vehicle, the frame operable toaccept the window, the frame having a first edge and an opposed spacedapart second edge; a shade having a fixed end and a free end, the fixedend mounted to a first edge of the frame; and at least one magnet, theat least one magnet connected to the free end of the shade, the shadeoperable to extend away from the first edge of the frame, the free endof the shade operable to connect to the second edge of the frame, the atleast one magnet of the free end of the shade operable to connect to thesecond edge of the frame, the second edge of the frame having at leastone indentation configured to accept the at least one magnet of the freeend of the shade.
 15. A sunshade assembly for use in a vehicle over awindow, the sunshade assembly comprising: a frame on the vehicle, theframe operable to accept the window, the frame having a first edge andan opposed spaced apart second edge; a shade having a fixed end and afree end, the fixed end mounted to a first edge of the frame, the shadeincluding a handle on the free end; and at least one magnet, the atleast one magnet connected to the second edge of the frame, the shadeoperable to extend away from the first edge of the frame to the secondedge, the free end of the shade operable to connect to the second edgeof the frame, the at least one magnet of the second edge operable toconnect to the free end of the shade, the second edge of the framehaving at least one indentation configured to accept the handle of thefree end of the shade.